


The Scent of Jasmines

by fayrenz



Category: SHINee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-14 06:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13584123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fayrenz/pseuds/fayrenz
Summary: Based on a prompt given by my friend Caz:"Minho is a tiny person and hangs out in Taemin's shirt pocket/jacket. Like a fairy or something."





	1. The Scent of Jasmines

 

There was a young girl who ran a small stall, filled with baskets of flowers. Taemin walked a little slower when he passed by it because he liked the faintly sweet smell of the blossoms that wafted in the air. It was refreshing at the end of a tiring day. He sometimes even bought some flowers, just a handful of jasmines. They were too tiny to make a bouquet of and the young girl usually sat threading them into garlands and other adornments. He really liked their scent so he put them in a small dish on his bedside table and soon his room wafted with that sweet, beautiful scent.

 

But one day when he stopped to buy some jasmines he found the girl closing down her stall. She had no flowers and when Taemin asked, she said that she was moving to the next town. Taemin wished her luck and began to walk away only to halt at her call.

 

She handed him a small pouch that consisted of a sole seed.

 

"My grandmother had given me this. She used to say that the flower that blooms from this seed is magical of sorts, it blooms into your heart’s desire."

 

"I cannot take this."

 

"I am selling it to you if you'd buy it. Even if you don't believe the story behind it, it's a rare wildflower species. It's a sturdy flower and wouldn't require much care."

 

"But..."

 

"I have no use of flowers anymore, sir...and I would be grateful for any price that you could give me for it. I chose to make only you this offer because I don't know anyone else who appreciates flowers so well."

 

Taemin couldn't refuse her offer after she put it like that. And hence he walked home, with a probably overpriced seed he didn't even know what it would grow into.

 

* * *

 

 

Taemin bought a small flowerpot the next day and planted the seed the way he remembered from his gardening class in school. He watered it every now and then but it hardly grew. With how busy he got, he forgot to water it at times. He worked a data entry job, just sitting in front of the computer, typing away all day, digitizing physical documents. It was a boring desk job but he made enough to get by. His parents had left him a small house so he didn't have to worry about rent. He hardly had friends. He had drifted apart from all of them. They had either left their quaint town to pursue a more dynamic career in the city or were married and caught up in their new lives. It was only him who had remained stationary in a world that had changed around him drastically. It was peaceful to live like this...but at times it was lonely because he would have a funny incident to describe at the end of the day, but he would have no one to tell and would just sigh, reminiscing the memory, hoping it wouldn't fade from him eventually.

 

* * *

 

 

One day he decided to go watch a film out of the blue after work. It had been years since he last saw one at the cinema. When it had ended, he came back from the cinema, looking more dreary than he had been before he decided to go watch a film. It hadn't bothered him before...or maybe it was the genre of the film...but he finally felt conscious of how lonely he was, of how gloomy he seemed...watching a film all alone in a theater full of people, people none of which had come alone. He couldn't remember a single dialogue or face from the movie. All he remembered were how some people cuddled close. How laughter resonated together at the funny parts. How the intermission was full of murmuring and conversation. How the young helped their parents up the stairs into the seats. How children giggled and played, running away from their seats in mid of the movie. How some people joked around, conversing excitedly about the movie as they departed. How some people held hands, whispering to each other as they stayed till the credits ended.

 

He had bought some beer and he opened a can as he sat in the rocking chair next to his window. He sat cross-legged and rocked slowly, taking small sips, sighing as he let his heart wallow freely. A short while later, as he focussed on the window ahead of him, he finally realized that the flowerpot sitting on the sill...now had an elegant white flower standing amidst short leaves. It looked like a jasmine but it was bigger. He got up and the scent that hit his senses was of jasmines, but sweeter, fresher. He touched the soft bud, a little smile finding its way on his face. He sighed as he turned away from it, finishing off his drink and heading to bed.

 

* * *

 

 

It was his day off the next day but Taemin was up at dawn. He poured some cereal for himself and sat in the rocking chair again, remembering that his flower might have bloomed by now. As he had expected, the bud had bloomed and the flower now seemed bigger. He just sat watching it, drowning in thoughts he couldn't really keep track of. As he chewed slowly on the fruit loops that had gone soggy, he noticed the flower move strangely. He ignored it at first, thinking it to be the breeze but it kept moving...like something was moving it. He set his bowl aside and walked to his window sill, shifting the pot so he could have a look at it. Perhaps an insect was caught inside the petals or something-

 

His eyes widened when he shifted the white petals slightly...because sitting in between wasn't an insect but a little person. He withdrew his hand in panic, blinking and reassuring himself that he had seen wrong. But the flower moved again and he reached out for the petals again, shifting them and freezing in his spot. It indeed was a little person.

 

Taemin withdrew again, walked away from the window. He walked around the house, his thoughts astray, erratic. He approached the flower again and the little person was now peeking out from between the petals. He just stared at that little head, who was smiling at him innocently.

 

Taemin shook his head, closing his eyes and when he opened them again, the little face was still there, the smile on his face intact.

 

Taemin was sure he was seeing things...maybe it was the remnant alcohol in his system. So he turned away, deciding to ignore what he saw but words pierced his mind.

 

_"I am real. Not your hallucination."_

 

Taemin turned around, wide-eyed.

 

_"Yes, I can hear what you think. We communicate through our minds, not our voice. My voice would not be audible to you, anyways."_

 

Taemin freaked out. He pushed the pot behind so he could close his window and turned away, his forehead wrinkling in tension at the bizarre person that had shot up from the strange flower.

 

_Just my mind playing games because of the story I heard about the seed._ Taemin thought to himself and decided to sleep a while more, hoping to sleep off the alcohol that was probably causing him to hallucinate.

 

* * *

 

 

Taemin had slept well into the afternoon, the whole morning scene was forgotten as he stepped out for a long walk to the town's diner for a proper meal. He was in no mood to cook so he got back with an extra serving packed for dinner. He put it in the refrigerator and when he glanced at his unfinished cereal in the sink, he was finally reminded of the flowerpot. He walked to his window and slowly opened it, convinced that he wouldn't see anything strange now that he was fully sober, well rested and well fed. But the flower had bloomed completely, the petals had spread apart beautifully and in the middle, a little man sat, dozing off, his head propped in his arms.

 

Taemin was agape, his eyes fixed on that little figure. He had only seen the head at first because the petals had been clustered around him. He was tiny but he was a grown man, not much older than himself if he had been...bigger. He was dressed pretty normally- a shirt, pants, boots. The air around him glistened slightly...something like glittering dust surrounding him. Taemin staggered back, colliding into his rocking chair, the sound making the little guy wake up. Taemin was panicking and not really thinking. He was about to push his shutters close but words pierced his head again.

 

_"Wait!"_

 

Taemin halted.

 

_"You planted the seed, I can't leave unless I grant you a wish."_

 

As if reading his thoughts, the little man's words invaded Taemin's mind again, _"I am a sprite. I take the form of a seed in nature and when planted I grow as a flower, a flower the planter finds beautiful. The flower blooms and wilts and I return to a seed. I can only take my sprite form if the planter has a pure heart. And when my sprite form is released, I can only return to dormancy when I grant my planter a wish."_

 

_"You still don't believe me,"_ The sprite's words flitted in Taemin's mind.

 

Taemin staggered behind, closing the shutters and walking back, dropping into his couch. He shook his head, switching on the TV and increasing the volume, trying to distract himself. Of course, he was still seeing things. There were no such beings as sprites or spirits-

 

Taemin flinched when he saw the little guy on his coffee table, soft, glittering wings fading into the air as he stepped closer, folding his arms.

 

_"I don't really care if you believe me or not. Just make a wish and I will be gone."_

 

He was so little but Taemin could make out how annoyed his expression was, how patient he was reluctantly being.

 

"I have no wish." Taemin softly replied, still unsure if what he was doing was sane.

 

_"Then I guess I will have to wait around until you have one."_ He relaxed a bit, looking around, _"The human world sure has changed since the last time I was here."_ As he turned, his eyes found the TV and he grew engrossed, awed and slowly flopped down onto the table, watching the programme Taemin had put on.

 

“Can’t you just grant any wish of your choice?” Taemin asked, “You can leave then.”

 

_“I was warned to never force a wish upon my planter.”_

 

“But why?”

 

_“The price of that wish to be granted is my existence.”_

 

Taemin sighed, hesitantly thinking of something he could wish for.

 

The sprite turned, smirking, _“Think harder, Taemin.”_

 

Taemin grumbled, “Shut up.”

 

* * *

 

 

He was a harmless presence, Taemin assured himself, as he let him fly around and scrutinize everything with interest. Taemin was getting ready for work and when he was done, he began to head towards the door. He closed the door behind him quietly, not wanting the sprite to follow him out. He was still unsure whether to believe if his existence was real or not... he _knew,_ he could _feel_ that he was real... but he just did not want to accept it. Magic? Fairies? Myths? They had always been nothing but stories. It was overwhelming to realize that all that was perhaps real. That there was another world existing alongside the one he lived in.

 

He crossed the bridge towards the bus stop, got on his bus, sat in his usual seat and leaned against the window, pressing his forehead against the cold glass. He sighed, letting his breath fog up the glass and his eyes casually drifted below, before they widened, finding a little head peeking out from the pocket of his coat.

 

His shock almost left him verbally but he suppressed it. Reluctantly, he reached out for the sprite but he was quicker and flew out of his pocket. He sat down on the little protrusion of the window, smiling innocently. It was probably because he knew what Taemin was thinking at that moment.

 

_"Let me make most of my time in this age. No one can see me except you, anyways."_

 

Taemin sighed in defeat and returned to leaning against the window, making sure to keep his eyes only on the passing scenery.

 

* * *

 

 

_Can't you just stay in my pocket?_ Taemin thought in annoyance, watching the sprite circle around the many cubicles in his office.

 

_"But no one can see me except you."_

 

_Exactly. You are bothering me. I can't work._

 

_"Okay, let me have a last look and I will come back to you."_

 

Taemin was taken aback by his last words. _Come back to you._

 

The sprite had caught his thoughts and was looking at him, wide-eyed.

 

Taemin just cleared his throat and began reading out the data he had to enter into his mind, so he could block the sprite from knowing any more of his private thoughts.

 

* * *

 

 

When Taemin had settled with his dinner (a quick pasta recipe he usually made), he switched on the TV. The sound of the TV brought the sprite to the couch, where he sat on Taemin's folded knee, soon getting engrossed in the drama Taemin had put on. Taemin really could watch anything, all he needed was a distraction that unwinded his mind off the confusing data he entered day by day. It wasn't the first episode, maybe the 3rd or 4th and the sprite kept on questioning him to fill in the missing parts, so he could understand.

 

Taemin was taken aback by the amount of interest the sprite showed in such a mundane program and that was the reason perhaps he wasn't really annoyed when he helped fill in the missing gaps. It was a cliche and ended with a tense cliffhanger. Taemin just sighed but the sprite was anxious, his eyes wide and worried, _"Where is the rest?"_

 

"It will air tomorrow," Taemin replied, getting up with his bowl and the sprite flew from his knee, floating close by. "Do you eat?"

 

_"Yes. I drank some nectar when we got home."_

 

"Can you eat human food?"

 

_"I was warned to not. It perhaps would kill me."_ He paused, listening to Taemin's thoughts, furrowing his brows, **"** **_Perhaps."_ **

 

Taemin chuckled, "I was kidding."

 

* * *

 

 

_"Can I fly out for a while? I cannot drift too far from you anyway. I will make sure not to make your view irritating. I will fly somewhere out of your sight-"_

 

"Go ahead," Taemin whispered, as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

 

_"Why do you wear those? You seem to have good sight."_

 

_It doesn't enhance my sight. It protects my eyes. Staring at the computer for eight hours every day can harm the eyes._

 

_"Interesting."_ The sprite's words infiltrated Taemin's mind as he flew out of his pocket, _"They suit you well."_ And he was gone, probably fluttering near a window, watching the gardens outside.

 

Taemin was staring at the faint reflection of his on his screen, before he smiled a little and whispered, "Well, glad to know."

 

* * *

 

 

Taemin had long stopped paying attention to the drama he had put on. The sprite was far more amusing to watch. His words were unconstrained just as his face as he reacted to every cliche plot twist and sentimental dialogue. He couldn't help but chuckle when the sprite flew towards the TV, loud words flitting into Taemin's mind, _"It can't end there! I can't wait another day to know the rest! Show me! Show me all of it!"_

 

"The next two episodes will air next week." Taemin broke his bubble and he slumped in shock.

 

_"I have to wait for a week? I was warned right. The human world is indeed cruel."_

 

Taemin burst out laughing at his words, "You can watch a different one while you wait," He suggested, trying to calm his laughter.

 

The sprite flew to him, coming to a rest on his knee, _"Do you mean there are more human stories in this box?"_

 

"Yeah." Taemin switched the channel, "Oh, look this one is starting from the first episode. It's a rerun and a marathon. You don't have to wait a week for this one."

 

The sprite turned around in interest, soon getting engrossed in the new show.

 

The next moment he turned to look at Taemin, an amused smile on his face, _"Why, thank you. I think you are cute too."_

 

Taemin cleared his throat in embarrassment before he got up quickly, heading towards his room. He grumbled because he could hear the sprite's amused chuckles fill his head. He turned in his bed and began humming a song, to conceal his thoughts from the sprite's knowledge.

 

* * *

 

 

"Do you have a name?" Taemin casually asked one day as he worked on his system, sipping on coffee. The sprite had eventually grown bored of the cubicles and the storerooms in Taemin's office and only fluttered near the windows, sitting on a nearby branch, watching the streets and gardens. But he didn't spend long there and often climbed back into Taemin's short pocket, fiddling with the pen he had tucked inside it. He also fluttered around his desk, sometimes keenly watching the keys Taemin pressed, trying to understand what exactly Taemin did for so long in front of another box.

 

_"I was warned not to reveal it."_

 

Taemin chuckled, "Is there anything you were _not_ warned against?"

 

_"The knowledge embedded in me warns me against everything human. My sole duty is to help you realize your true desire. I am forbidden from conveying it. It is only for you to realize it and wish for it. Maybe, I am forbidden from telling you even this... and I am fluttering too close to the boundaries set by nature- spending so much time in the human world, entertaining myself with the this world's pleasures."_ He made a face after hearing Taemin's trail of thought, _"Minho? I look like a total ‘Minho’? What is that supposed to mean?"_

 

"I am naming you," Taemin whispered, smirking a little at the distaste on the sprite's face, "You seem to like it too."

 

The sprite just sighed, defeated, _"At least it's a simple name."_

 

"Minho."

 

The sprite awkwardly turned to him.

 

_Minho_

 

_Minho_

 

_Minho_

 

_Minho_

 

_"Stop calling out, I am used to it already."_

 

Taemin chuckled, but his laughter calmed as he thought over what the sprite had told him previously, "So you know what I truly desire."

 

_"And you will too. It is after all, right in front of you. You just have to understand it."_

 

* * *

 

 

A few more days passed and Minho became a constant presence in Taemin's life. It was when Minho was watching a drama, chewing on his lip as he fluttered in tension at the plot twist when Taemin realized how content, how at peace...how happy he seemed. His faint reflection was staring back at him from the screen that was mostly dark for the time being...and his heart caught pace in that realization. Minho was an aberrant existence, yet the only one he had let affect him, the only one who had given him a comfort of sorts.

 

None of his relationships had been so comforting. he had favored no one to such a degree. He had tried. It had never happened. He knew it was never good to force a person to stay by his side...and hence he never forced it. He truly believed friendships, love, care, transparent conversations, unrestrained laughter were all supposed to come about effortlessly, naturally. Something of that sort had never happened. Not until a sprite had bloomed out of a strange flower, asking him if there was a wish that he could grant.

 

_"I have grown fond of you too, Taemin,"_ Minho's words invaded Taemin's mind, _"But I cannot stay. You will have to make a wish. My time is only meant to collide with yours...not entwine. Even if you speak no wish, I will be gone once the flower wilts."_ He paused, answering the next thought in Taemin's mind, _"And I will not grow back. Not for you. The seed will pass from you, in some way or the other. Nature will take care of it. And when I bloom for someone else, I will become a different existence...something, someone their heart desires. The form you see me in...is what your heart, your soul molded me into. I will retain knowledge of this time, of the wish I granted...but your identity will fade from my knowledge. It is the law of nature."_  He finally turned to Taemin, smiling- his smile a little sad at the edges, _"But you will retain every bit of the time in which we collided. So remember this time well."_

 

Taemin's face distorted at his words. His eyes were laced with hurt, with a simmering rage.

 

"I wish," He began, his voice quivering slightly with ache, with fury, "I wish that you always remain by my side."

 

_"That is beyond my power, Taemin. Please wish again. You do not really wish for that. Think...think about what your heart truly desires. Think about what I previously told you. Think about it and wish again."_

 

"I wish that you could stay."

 

_"It is an empty wish, Taemin. I can accept it but it will not be granted."_

 

"Then so be it. I wish for nothing else." And Taemin got up and stormed to his bed, tears threatening to leave his eyes.

 

_“Forgive me for being selfish. But I will not let you waste your wish. Forgive me for being unable to let you recognize what you truly desire. Forgive me, because I will grant you a wish of my own accord.”_

 

Taemin’s anger simmered down at those words but it only filled his heart with more dismay, with panic, with fear. He got up, realizing what he had done. What he had pushed Minho to do.

 

_Minho_

 

_Minho_

 

_Minho_

 

"Minho!"

 

Taemin got out of his bed and rushed outside into his living room, his eyes roaming desperately for soft white wings made of magical glitter fluttering around somewhere. But all that met his senses was an empty room and the TV playing a drama.

 

He turned to his window sill and his eyes lost luster on finding the flower wilted, fallen out of the pot. He walked towards it and there was no seed sitting inside the hole the flower had caused in the mud when it had fallen.

 

_No. No. It's supposed to be there. He can't be gone completely-_

 

He tried to grab it to search for the seed better but his fingers slipped, causing the pot to slide off the window sill, out into the garden. He rushed outside with a torch, and searched the broken pieces and the mud that had fallen on the grass... but there was no seed to be found.

 

His heart was twisting achingly at the sight of the broken pot, at the mud, at the wilted flower on his window sill. At the nothingness before him. The nothingness Minho had become.

 

Tears finally left him and he sat there, staring at the broken pieces of the flowerpot, pieces that reflected his broken heart.

 

* * *

 

 

Days had passed. Enough days that Taemin lost count of them, of everything. The wilted flower now hung on his wall, dried, preserved and framed. He could hardly look at it at times...and at times he would stand there, staring at it for a long while.

 

He drowned himself in work, stayed overtime knowing that he won't be paid extra for it. It was a government job, after all. But at times he could not concentrate on his keyboard, on his screen, being struck by a memory of words that gave him company and comfort, memory of a patient, worried face that listened to his rambling mind, his frustrated complaining of how repetitive his work was, how his boss never considered his previous load before handing him more.

 

He couldn't watch TV without thinking of him so it remained shut for a long, long while.

 

At times, he craved that sweet smell of jasmines that always wafted the air when Minho had been around. A flower shop had opened somewhere near his office but he always passed by it swiftly, more so when he noticed a basket of jasmines in the shop window.

 

He knew it was cowardly of him to try and escape those things that triggered his memories. But it was the only way he could keep his heart from hurting.

 

His heart grew numb eventually. He knew that the memories, the emotions related to them, the good ones, even the painful ones were all buried somewhere. But he had learned to keep them buried. And his life returned to the dreary mundanity it previously was.

 

* * *

 

 

Taemin was typing away one day, too engrossed in his work. That was how he usually was now. It was one of the ways everything remained buried inside him, it was one of the ways he could forget the despair within him, the loneliness, the loss. It was one of the ways he could keep his heart away from his mind, it was one of the ways he could not let his despair leak into his actions, into his expressions.

 

But something made him halt.

 

The smell of jasmines. It was coming from somewhere close by.

 

He turned to his side and found the back of someone standing in the cubicle next to his, talking to his boss.

 

The scent... it was probably coming from this stranger.

 

The voice of his boss pulled him out of his thoughts and he got up.

 

"We have a new transfer, Taemin. I asked for someone to be sent. The workload is going to get insane because of the new construction project that will start this month. Teach him well."

 

Taemin bowed in obedience and the boss nodded, patting his shoulder before returning to his cabin. Taemin watched his boss close the door of his cabin before he turned towards the new transfer.

 

A familiar face met his eyes. A face whose memories he had buried inside, a face that he sometimes convinced himself to have been a long, cruel hallucination. But this face, this person was real. His eyes were bright, his smile gentle. Taemin did not want to believe again, but...his presence before him was undeniable. His heart was twisting. He...he was real. He was human.

 

“Good morning.”

 

Taemin broke from his daze and staggered behind, colliding with his chair.

 

"Are you alright?"  The new transfer asked, his voice dripping with worry, a voice that was warm.

 

"Yeah..." Taemin softly replied, his heart pacing at the smile that formed on the man's face. It was charming. Far more charming than he could have ever caught. Far more charming than he remembered.

 

"Choi Minho," He extended his hand for a shake, his smile brighter and Taemin could only stare. Minho was almost going to awkwardly retract his hand but Taemin broke out of his daze right then to shake it. "Lee Taemin."

 

"Please take care of me," He bowed and Taemin nodded absentmindedly, his eyes still on him even after he had taken his seat and was familiarizing himself with his computer system.

 

"Why..." Taemin asked without much thinking, "Why do you smell of jasmines?"

 

"Oh dear, is it very noticeable?" Minho asked, sniffing at his sleeves before giving up, smiling eventually, "My mother opened a flower shop nearby. I helped around the shop before my joining date. I felt bad for not being able to help out anymore so instead, I helped her open this morning."

 

"Ah, I see." Taemin replied, "If you need me, just call out to me."

 

"Thank you!"

 

Taemin flopped down into his chair and pushed it towards his desk, awe dripping from his face. His mind was erratic, his heart was more, and when they caught up with each other finally, a soft smile grew on his lips.

 

_I knew it. He seemed like a total 'Minho'._

* * *

* * *

 

* * *

 

 

_Notes:_

I tried my best to suggest this subtly but in case I have failed ;;;;

The girl, when she sold the seed to Taemin mentions that the flower blooms into the heart's desire of the planter. Taemin desired to meet his other half- his soulmate, so the flower’s sprite mirrored his soulmate’s appearance and soul. In conversation, the sprite reveals that its only duty is to help the planter realize what they truly desire and grant that desire.

By taking the form of Taemin's soulmate and mirroring the real person, the sprite successfully comforts Taemin but Taemin is unable to figure out that what he truly desires is his soulmate's presence in his life.

Instead, Taemin had wished that the sprite stayed with him, The sprite knows what Taemin's true desire is but it is forbidden from conveying it. Its efforts to make Taemin understand his true desire fail and it chooses to grant Taemin his true wish of its own accord and hence sacrifices its existence. Since the sprite is a mirror to the actual Minho's soul, the sprite's sacrifice can also be seen as what Minho's soul would have done in this situation (sacrifice himself for Taemin).

The (real) Minho’s fate finally entwines with Taemin’s. The scent of jasmines on Minho indicates that they had met because of the wish being granted.


	2. epilogue;

  

Taemin yawned, pushing back the huge frame that kept slipping off his nose. He was done for the day but there was still time for the clock to strike 5. He usually did the system checkup in this free time, cleared his system of the temporary files and junk that made the software lag at times. He found that there was a new update he could apply so he left it to install but before he could have pushed back his chair and head to the canteen for coffee, a small pop-up made him halt. He had an email.

 

He straightened up immediately because he hardly got emails without knowing beforehand that he was going to receive one. His colleagues called out to him across the room from their cubicle, explaining they sent him an email and needed some file or something related to that. It was his work email so it was protected from spam. His friends didn’t email him and even if they ever would, they wouldn’t know his work one. So that left only one person who could email him.

 

His boss.

 

Taemin dreaded getting his emails because they usually carried a lot of work to be done. There was barely half an hour left for him to clock out...he really did not want anything new to come up at this time of the day. He already had a slight headache from how messy the construction project’s files were.

 

He sighed and clicked on the notification, his irritated dread resolving on reading the sender’s name. Choi Minho.

 

_Thanks for dinner last Friday and the tutorial on how to work the software :) Thanks to you I finished my tasks in almost half the time! As a_ _celebration_ _, I will treat you to coffee. From a coffee shop, not the instant one we get in the canteen. Is today_ _al_ _right_ _?_

 

_P.S I suddenly realized...how did you know I enjoy that kind of dramas? It was my secret but you already knew!_

 

Taemin smiled at his email, remembering how he had invited Minho to his place to help him out with certain things at work. They had finished early and Taemin had put on a melodrama half expecting Minho to not like it. But Minho was trying to act like he didn’t like them and was trying to pretend he was not paying attention to the TV but a few more minutes in and he had given up after one of the characters started crying- his eyes wide and engrossed as he watched the drama, his food forgotten.

 

Taemin had been too engrossed in watching Minho because when the drama was done, Minho turned towards Taemin, catching him staring. Taemin had turned away, embarrassed at being caught staring so shamelessly.

 

A soft knock on his cubicle wall broke Taemin from his daze and he turned to the side, finding Minho standing in his own cubicle, peeking into his, ready to leave, “Still thinking?”

 

Taemin swiftly closed his inbox, embarrassed at being found out that he had been staring at his email for so long. He began wrapping up and when done, he picked up his office bag. He walked out of his cubicle and Minho joined his side, “So? Is today alright?”

 

“Yeah,” Taemin answered, feeling his face heat up in coyness, which he tried hard to not let it show.

 

 

It was getting chilly and Taemin was relieved when their order finally arrived. He warmed his hands on the hot cup, smiling back at Minho who was smiling sheepishly, doing the same. When he lifted his cup to take a sip, his vision fogged and that was when he realized that all this time...he had been wearing his glasses.  He took them off right away, wiping off the fogged up steam with his sleeve before tucking them into his pocket.

 

Minho might have noticed his embarrassment in the hasty way he had gotten rid of them. He chuckled softly, “They suited you well.”

 

“Thank you,” Taemin replied, a bit taken aback.

 

If it hadn’t been for the cup pressed to his lips, he would have given away his bashful heart through the irrepressible smile forming on his lips.

 

 

 

* * *

  
  


_Do you wanna go to the cinema? I really want to watch this film and I have no one to go with :( My mother went with her friends and I cannot stand another day of her attempts to ruin it for me._

 

Taemin couldn’t help but smile at his email. He could imagine how his expression would change with every word, from the sheepish smile to the dejected pout. Minho was exceedingly adorable. And Taemin had a hard time trying not to let show how his charms affected him.

 

_I’ll go if you buy me popcorn. The largest one._

 

_I’ll buy you soda too :)_

 

They were the first people in because Minho couldn’t bear to miss even a second of the movie. It was ridiculous, but endearing, the way he was so excited and interested in a simple film. He laughed without holding back, chewed on his lip when the plot thickened...and he would often lean towards Taemin to comment on something he found interesting. He wouldn’t stop talking about it even after the movie ended and they only left the theater when the credits had stopped rolling.

 

They had been going to the cinema every Friday after work and Taemin didn’t mind if he liked the genre or not. It was Minho he watched. It was his own heart he reveled in, that was fluttering in an excited bliss, falling bit by bit for the handsome man next to him.

 

Maybe it was the same for Minho...because on their seventh movie together, Minho wasn’t looking at the screen with the same interest. His eyes roamed to Taemin who casually watched the movie and then to his hand on the hand rest between them. It took him almost half the movie to gently take it. Taemin turned to him but Minho couldn’t meet his eyes, yet Taemin smiled because illuminated in the light coming from the screen was a mixture of bashfulness and courage. He entangled their fingers and turned to look at the screen again, this time, letting his heart show just the slight on his face.

 

They sat in silence, still holding hands, watching everyone leave, staring at the credits that were rolling against a soft melody. Just before the music faded, that was when they had first kissed.

 

* * *

 

It was a Sunday morning when Taemin woke up to his doorbell. He put on a sweater as he approached the door, grabbing his wallet from the coffee table, thinking it to be perhaps the newspaper guy or the milk vendor, coming to collect their monthly payment.

 

But the moment Taemin opened his door, the scent of jasmines hit his senses before drifting into the small space wherein he stood. Minho was standing at his doorstep, his pants slightly muddy. He smiled before shifting slightly and Taemin saw the jasmine bushes he had planted symmetrically along his pathway.

 

“You like them, don’t you?”

 

Taemin looked from the bushes, back to Minho, “Yes,” He couldn’t help but smile, feeling a little blush creep into his face, “But you could have just given me the flowers.”

 

“I want you to watch my flowers bloom and grow, not wither,” Minho replied, a gentle smile on his face as he took Taemin's hand, “And when you pass by those bushes every day...it will remind you of me. Of this moment. Of our love.”

  
  
And just as he had said, whenever Taemin passed them by, the scent of jasmines filled his senses, reminding him of Minho, of their beautiful, precious love. It also reminded him of the day he met Minho. The day when that wish had come true. He understood it now, what he truly had desired. What truly had transpired.

 

_“Remember this time well.”_

 

_I will forever be grateful for it._  

 

* * *

 

_-end_


End file.
